


Seven Days Of Christmas

by The_Black_Cat



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Also They Are Dorks, Alternate Universe - No Powers, And In Their Late 20's, And Obviously In Love, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/F, Feelings, Fluff, Kim Has Kids In This One, they're neighbours
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-25 04:54:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21870382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Black_Cat/pseuds/The_Black_Cat
Summary: It's the most wonderful time of the year! The only problem is, some people don't like it as much as they could and some people can't enjoy it as much as they want to. But maybe these two kinds of people can help each other out a little bit. After all, Christmas is about helping and loving, is it not?ORI've been dying to read a new Christmas Timberly fic but I couldn't find any so I made my own.
Relationships: Kimberly Hart/Trini, Past Kimberly Hart/Tommy Oliver
Comments: 24
Kudos: 95





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys!
> 
> Sooo, I made a thing. It's going to be seven chapters of pure, distilled and unadulterated Christmas fluff. There'll be snow and Christmas carols and moments so sweet your blood will turn into sugar (that is, if you are as much of an antiromantic person as I am). It might turn into a series or it might not, who knows. 
> 
> I'm currently battling a lack of inspiration and a small crisis regarding my other story, so I thought I'd try taking my mind off of it a little with this. I'm quite curious about how it will pan out. I don't have the story planned out, so it's going to be as much of a surprise for me as it will for you.
> 
> Just a reminder: I'm not a native English speaker, so there are bound to be mistakes in this. If you find any, feel free to let me know.
> 
> I don't really know what else to say, except, you're welcome for your daily serotonin dose for the next week. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Trini didn’t even bother to stop the flood of curses that was currently in her mind. She was hungry and sleepy and cold, and the snow that fell like powder sugar onto the already white ground didn’t help. She loved living in Ohio, but winters were terrible. It made her miss the sunny beaches of LA.

With her teeth squeezed tightly together so that they wouldn’t clatter, Trini rounded the corner of her apartment building. She wanted to scream in joy when she saw the entrance. Of course, she didn’t. She was a sensible adult and did have a reputation to uphold. Not that anyone would notice even if she did squeal a little with how much the kids from her neighbourhood were all yelling and laughing and having a good time in the snow.

Trini shook her head when a particularly loud squeal made its way under her beanie and into her ears. She didn’t understand how these kids could like winter so much. It was slippery and dangerous and monotonous, and so freaking cold! And these kids were just running around in their overalls, building snowmen and snow forts and having snowball fights! In this god-damned cold! It was minus forty degrees out, at least!

All right, she was exaggerating. Thirty-nine and a half.

God, she couldn’t wait to get into her apartment where it was nice and warm and quiet. Still, when she got to the door to the building, she stopped and looked back at the small park, quickly searching for familiar figures. Only when she found that they weren’t there did she start fumbling with her keys to let herself in.

It took her an embarrassingly long time to get up the stairs and into the hall on her floor, and then an even longer to find the correct key and open the door to her apartment, with how frozen her whole body was. But, contrary to her memory-based fantasy, there wasn’t a flood of warmth and light when she opened the door. There was no sound or movement or anything that would correspond with the happy, festive atmosphere outside.

Only when she closed the door behind her did Trini allow herself to let out a sigh. She hated winter, but the cold wasn’t the only reason. She didn’t like the festive spirit, she didn’t like how false and non-genuine it felt. She didn’t like the materialistic side to winter. She didn’t even like the familial side of it. She didn’t like the religious side of it, either.

When she was a child, she hated Christmas because it meant having to be closed up in a house with her extended family that she didn’t even know; it meant having to take care of the younglings since she was the oldest child in her family; it meant having to cook and clean while the men of the family did nothing or went out to play in the snow. When she got older, she started realising that Christmas shouldn’t just be Christmas and that other cultures’ and religions’ holidays should be talked about and celebrated as well. Her mother hated that idea.

Since she moved away from LA and her overbearing mother, Christmases have been somewhat more enjoyable. Although she had to admit she did miss some company during the holidays, she was more than comfortable alone with just Sabre for company. She didn’t like the craziness and rush that came with having a crapload of people over for the holidays, but…

Not having anyone made it seem like Christmas wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. She finally understood what Dean Martin meant when he said that Christmas was just a thing for little girls and little boys.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Trini turned the lights on and took off her jacket and hoodie. She managed to make it into the kitchen before the clacking of claws on the wooden floor told her that Sabre woke up.

“Hey there, big fella,” she greeted him once the German Shephard crossbreed clacked lazily into the room. She scratched behind his ear and he nuzzled into her legs in greeting, his tail wagging furiously the whole time. Once their little ritual of petting hello was over, Sabre curled up in front of the fridge with his nose turned to the door and panted happily.

Trini had to physically suppress a groan. That’s right, she still had to take Sabre out. And while patient, he was less than forgiving about her missing some part of his daily routine. His evening walk was not up for debate, no matter how cold it was outside. But—she barely just for home and she’d soon have to go out there again? She still felt like her joints were frozen stuck! Sabre, however, didn’t care. He continued to stare at the door, and he even let out a whine or two to let Trini know he was waiting.

With the dreadful thought of going outside yet again in her head, Trini made sure to eat as slowly as possible. She wanted to soak up as much warmth as she could in hopes it would thaw her muscles and last long enough once she got outside. She knew it wouldn’t work at all, but she still let herself hope.

Finally, when Sabre started pacing about in front of the door, Trini groaned and pushed herself away from the small table. She put layer after layer on until she felt like an onion, then she leashed her doggo and walked out. She was just locking the door when a burst of familiar laughter filled her ears. Two sets of feet beat down on the stairs with a steady thud-thud-thud-thud. Sabre sniffed the air and started wagging his tail. Trini didn’t blame him. If she had a tail, she was sure it would be wagging as well.

The blaringly pink, fluff ball on a similarly pink hat was the first thing that came to view, followed by a happy, smiling face of a four-year-old girl, proudly stomping up the stairs with all the confidence in the world. Right after her came another familiar girl, this one of a six-years-old and crowned with a green hat instead. And after those two, another figure came to view, tall and lean and currently looking like a snowman who’s spent far too much money on Christmas shopping.

When the two small girls spotted Sabre, they squealed out his name and thud-thud-thudded their way to him. The dog was just as excited as the girls were; he wagged his tail, fast and happy. He didn’t move from his spot, but he did let out a greeting little yap at the two. When the girls came close enough, Sabre stood up and nuzzled into them as they petted him.

Trini watched the interaction with a fond smile on her face. That was until the snowman-figure stopped close to her and greeted: “Hi, Trin.”

“Kim,” Trini smiled back. A warmth settled in her stomach as she looked up at the woman who was currently wearing grocery bags as another layer on top of her black coat. Her hair was windswept and stuck to her beautiful face that now had a hint of pink on the caramel colour from the cold outside.

“Going for a walk?” At Trinis nod, Kim frowned a little. “It’s really cold. And it started snowing pretty hard.”

“That’s why the girls seem so energised,” Trini remarked.

“Too energised,” Kim sighed. “All they want is to play outside and I don’t have the time to.”

Trini frowned. That didn’t sound like Kim at all. In those few months that they knew each other, Trini noticed that Kim loved her daughters and would do almost anything for them.

“My apartment is a mess and I don’t even have any leftover food! I just ended a thirty-eight-hour shift and I didn’t have time to cook anything before my mom dropped the girls off—oh. Oh, God, Trini, I’m so sorry. You just want to walk your dog and here I am, laying all my problems on you.”

“No, it’s okay. Don’t apologize. Uhm, but, doesn’t Tommy usually watch the girls after a long week like that?”

“He dropped them off at my mom’s sooner than he was supposed to. Don’t get me wrong, I love them and I love having them, but I expected to have at least something cooked and a few hours of sleep under my belt before they arrived.”

Trini watched as the two girls petted Sabre who was now on his back with his tongue lolled out of his mouth. “Tell you what,” she turned to Kim. “I’ll take the girls out with me and Sabre. They’ll be safe, just around the block, and it’ll give you time to kick back a little.”

“I couldn’t ask that of you—”

“Can we go with Trini, mom?” asked Sara, the younger of the girls, who apparently heard the conversation. “Please? We’ll be good, promise!”

“Yeah, we’ll be good!” Alex joined in quickly. “Please, mom!”

Kim turned her head to look at Trini with the most conflicted, yet pleading expression. “I really don’t want to bother you, but it would help me out a lot if you—”

“It’s okay, I offered,” Trini smiled. She then looked at the girls and grinned. “Come on, fellas! We have a snowman to build! We can’t let the other kids beat us, can we?”

The girls squealed happily and ran towards the stairs, Sabre barking after them.

“No running away from Trini!” Kim yelled.

“Hey, loosen up,” Trini nudged the other woman’s shoulder. “They’ll be okay.”

“If they fall—”

“They’ll get back up. Don’t worry. Go in, turn the heater on and relax. They’ll be okay.”

Kim smiled, eyes relieved and shoulders a little sagged. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Trini smiled back at her. She’d be okay with looking at Kim’s smiling face for longer, but the soft tug at her hand from Sabre alerted her it was time to go. “We’d better get going now.”

“Okay,” Kim breathed. Trini wanted to respond, but Sabre decided it was really time for them to go. She took one last look at Kim’s soft smile before walking after the girls.

With the two kids running around her legs and chirping into her ear, and with the memory of Kim’s smile still in her mind, the winter didn’t seem quite as cold as before.


	2. Day Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys!
> 
> Second chapter here! I don't really know what to say about it. The story's just starting but I'm already knee-deep into this universe. Like, I will definitely add other stories into it later on. Just a side-note--it turns out I like to make Kim suffer in all my stories (I wonder why).
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

There were so many sounds Trini had a problem taking them all in. The happy laughter of children mixed with the huffing and puffing coming from the adults who were wading their way through their everyday lives, with the crunching of fresh snow under their feet and the Christmas songs and carols coming in from the stores and shops and cafés as an added bonus. It made Trini’s head hurt. Especially because she just wanted to get her dog walked without having to be hit in the face with the Christmas atmosphere.

She waited patiently at the edge of the park as Sabre went off by himself to play in the snow and mark his usual route. He was a good dog, well-trained, well-behaved and very intelligent and she knew he wouldn’t hurt anyone unless he had a valid reason to, so she wasn’t worried. Besides, most kids from their block knew Sabre already and they all loved to play with him. Trini didn’t mind; it was no skin off of her back and at least the kids tired Sabre out enough that he didn’t walk around her bedroom at night trying to find a good enough spot to sleep.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts she didn’t even notice that someone walked over to her until there was a smiling face next to her. She jerked back when that face came into view, her reflexes kicking in with the fight or flight response. She, however, quickly pushed it down when she realised who exactly was standing next to her.

“Kim!” she sighed. She let out a breath to help calm her wildly beating heart. “Please, don’t do that to me ever again.”

“Sorry,” Kim smiled sheepishly. “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for Sabre,” Trini pointed to the general direction of the small park.

Kim looked in that direction and frowned a little. “Aren’t you worried about letting him run off alone like that?”

“Nah,” Trini waved her off. “He’s okay. Gonna play a little, then he’ll be back. Besides, he knows where his home is and he’s chipped. And everybody around the block knows him. He’s safe and people are safe with him.”

“I wish I had as much trust as you do.”

Trini chuckled. She then looked at Kim from the corner of her eye and frowned just a little. “Where did you leave the girls?”

“Home with my mom,” Kim explained quickly. “They can’t know where Santa does last-minute Christmas shopping.”

Trini couldn’t keep the smile off her face at the small shrug Kim gave to point at the shopping bags she had in her hands. “That’s a lot of things.”

“Not nearly enough,” Kim sighed, heavy and tired. That’s when Trini noticed the dark circles under her eyes and the greyish tone of her skin that had nothing to do with the cold or the colour of the street lamps. “They don’t want many things but I… sorry. You just want to be out with your dog and here I am, complaining about things you couldn’t care less about.”

“Hey, hey, no, Kim. It’s okay. Tell me. Maybe I could help.”

“It’s not for you to help with,” Kim dismissed quickly.

Trini shrugged and looked back to the park.

They just stood there for a few moments. They watched as the kids from the neighbourhood played in the snow. The silence was comfortable, soothing even, much to Trini’s surprise. They hadn’t known each other all that well and usually, such moments tended to be awkward between two almost-friends. Not with them, it seemed. Trini was rather happy with that. It made her feel closer to Kim in some way and that made a not unfamiliar warmth spread over her chest and belly. She’s never felt giddy, no matter what crushes she’s had on people, and with Kim, it wasn’t different. She wasn’t giddy. No, she was content. Peaceful. And she liked that.

“It’s just,” Kim started, shaking Trini out of her thoughts. When Trini looked over, she found Kim with her head down and a strange, serious, almost wistful expression on her face. “I’ve been trying so hard. I’ve been picking all the shifts I could at work for the past three months just so I could give them everything for Christmas. But it’s… it’s too much.”

Trini quirked an eyebrow at her companion. “Doesn’t Tommy help?”

“Of course he does! He loves the girls!” Kim was quick to assure. “But even so, it’s a lot. Paying or the apartment, for the school, not having to buy all the Christmas decorations… I had everything planned out, you know? I wanted this to be the best Christmas yet. It’s the first time we’re spending it alone since we’ve left Tommy. I wanted it to be perfect. But I—even with Tommy and my mom pitching in, I’m still falling short. The girls know they can’t ask for too much, but I can’t even… Sara asked for a colouring book on Peter Rabbit! How did she even hear about such a thing? And Alex—all she wants is a Harry Potter book! It’s not that much! And I can’t—I’ve gotten them all the things they wanted that I knew they would need, you know? But that’s not Christmas presents! Gifts for Christmas should be something that you want just because you like it, not because you’ll freeze to death without a new pair of socks! They want books. And I know that if I get them to read books now, it’ll stay with them. It’ll be good for them! But I can’t… I can’t buy them a book…”

When Kim let out a defeated sigh, Trini could feel it in the pit of her stomach. It was a sickening feeling, almost physically painful.

“Is there anything I can do?”

“What? Oh, no, it, ah—I’ll deal with it. I still have five days!” Kim smiled, showing her teeth. But it was as sad and uncertain as it was wide. “But enough about me! How are you spending the holidays?”

Trini huffed out a long breath. She turned to the park and shoved her hands into her pockets. She’s never really minded spending the holidays alone and she’s never been ashamed of it. But now, comparing her small, dark apartment where only the TV and Sabre’s snores would sound all night and day, and where she’ll probably spend all her time working like all the Christmases before, to the idea of an apartment filled with laughter and smell of food and kids happily waking her up in the morning to go look at the presents, she felt that her routine was somewhat lacking.

“Nothing much to tell,” she decided on finally.

“You have to have some traditions!”

Trini shrugged. “Not really.”

“So what does your Christmas look like?” Kim asked. She stepped a little closer to Trini, the bags in her hands hitting Trini in the shins. The cold air mixed with Kim’s pleasant scent and filled Trini’s lungs with each gulp of breath.

When Trini didn’t respond, Kim pushed the bags behind her legs and rocked on the balls of her feet a few times. “It’s only our second Christmas together since Tommy, but I want the girls to have their traditions. We’re getting a tree tomorrow. Then we’ll start putting up decorations in their room. The day after that, we’ll watch movies do some baking. The day after that, we’ll shop for food. And then it’s tree decorating time!”

“You really have it all figured out,” Trini remarked in awe. “How will you get it all sorted without having to go to work?”

“Got all my days off on this,” Kim admitted. “It was a fight at the hospital. Everyone wants to be home for Christmas. But there still are some who are willing to help out a single mother.”

“The sympathy people show surprises me sometimes,” Trini agreed.

“So. What does your Christmas look like?”

“Damn, you’re demanding.”

“Don’t forget stubborn,” Kim quipped in helpfully. “Well?”

Trini chuckled, low and short. She shrugged. Moved her hands in her pockets. “It’s just me and Sabre, chillin’. I get some sketches done, get a few new ideas inked; all that jazz.”

“Yeah, but what do you do for Christmas?”

“Just told you. I work. I sleep.”

“But that’s not Christmasy!” Kim frowned. Trini could see that small pout on her lips and the confusion in her eyes. She looked like a puppy that didn’t understand how to play with a new toy.

“Yeah, I…” Trini shrugged again. She didn’t like how Kim regarded her. She frowned, too, and set her jaw. “Not everyone is a festive person.”

“You just haven’t experienced the right holidays!” Kim exclaimed. “Tell you what! Spend a few days with us! Maybe just one! See if you like it! The girls will have a field day with you and Sabre joining in.”

“Won’t that thaw your tradition-making? We will not be neighbours forever. Maybe I won’t be able to join in every year.”

Kim just smiled at that. “We’ll worry about that when we get there.

Trini just shook her head with a chuckle.

“I’m serious! You’re joining us for at least one of our Christmas days! I won’t take no for an answer!”

“I don’t want to impose on your family time with the girls.”

“You won’t,” Kim declared confidently. “They’ll be delighted to have you. As will I.”

Trini smiled at that. Kim looked so sure of herself, so convincing. While Trini was not much of a Christmas person, she might just give it a try. For Kim and her girls.

Kim took a step back. “I should get back home. The girls have probably run my mom down by now. I’ll, ah… I’ll see you around, Trini?”

“Yeah. See you around.”

Trini watched as Kim made her way to their apartment building. But even when she disappeared out of sight, the warmth she left in Trini’s chest stayed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's all, folks! I hope you liked this chapter! Let me know what you think down in the comments! I love reading your thought, your feelings, what made you laugh or what made you curse me to hell! Or you can come talk to me on my [Tumblr](https://justalittlewritingnerd.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> I hate you all, hoomans!


	3. Day Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! 
> 
> I'm back with the third chapter! It's a little shorter, but I hope you'll like it anyway!
> 
> Enjoy!

Trini couldn’t stop glancing at her phone or the door every three to five minutes for the whole day. She could have gone to work and avoid that excruciating fate, but it seemed she liked her fate just fine because she continuously made the choice to stay at home and get some sketches done. Only because she hoped she’d hear from Kim.

She liked her holidays just the way it was, there was nothing wrong with peace and quiet and ignoring the holidays altogether. But she liked the idea of spending at least one day of Christmas with Kim and her girls. It would mean they were close and Trini liked the feelings that thought awoke in her. She wanted to be close to Kim and the girls. They were as cute as they were energetic and while she usually found kids annoying, she couldn’t help but adore Kim’s girls.

Kim did a really good job on them. Trini admired that. She admired Kim’s devotion and resilience. She admired her determination. Kim didn’t talk much about Tommy, her ex-husband and the girls’ father, but she did mention a few things and Trini had a picture of what happened. Apparently, Tommy was a good father and he loved his daughters, but he’s done something that made Kim think it necessary to leave, even though she had a hard time doing it. Trini admired her for that even more. It’s not easy to leave someone you care about. Kim managing it showed strength and resolve.

Trini shook herself into focus. She shouldn’t be thinking about Kim. Not like this. It was dangerous and she didn’t have the time for dangerous. Not this kind of danger. Not when there were kids to think of. Trini was pretty sure Kim had a thing for her if her blushes and bright smiles were anything to go by. And Trini… well, Trini always felt all warm and fuzzy and bubbly inside when she thought of Kim.

But there was no place to try. No time to test the waters. There were kids to think of. And kids couldn’t handle them separating. Kids couldn’t understand casual or not serious.

If Trini was honest with herself, she didn’t want casual with Kim. She didn’t want not serious. She didn’t want these feelings and relationship things often, she hadn’t wanted them in years, but if she did this with Kim if things happened to grow into that territory, she wanted something long-lasting and stable. It would be good for her. For them both. And for the girls, too. They deserved good.

But none of that mattered, not really. Until Kim makes her move, Trini will wait. She won’t wouldn’t compromise their friendship for a hunch and some hopeful late-night thoughts.

Trini decided that she wouldn’t dwell on it more. There were more important things to do. She still needed to clean her apartment. She didn’t need to cook—thank God for delivery—but working in a place where there was mess wasn’t her favourite thing. She wasn’t a neat freak, but she was a messy worker and that tended to leave her stepping on pens and pencils and crumpled papers with discarded ideas on her way to brew some tea. So she’s learnt that—to keep her feet from hurting and to keep herself from cursing uncontrollably for at least five minutes straight—she should periodically clean around herself. That worked rather well in her office. In her apartment? Not so much. She’d usually just change locations while working until every surface of her apartment was covered with her creative process.

As the case was not, there was almost no space on the floor free from her sketches. She’s been working on a new comic or the past two months and she still couldn’t figure it out. It was frustrating.

Deciding it was time to actually do something, Trini got to her feet and started sorting through the paper. Most were sentenced to life in trash.

Just as she was on her way back into her warm and cosy apartment, having taken out all the discarded ideas and sketches—and some of the broken pencils, too—she was stopped by familiar laughter. Only a few feet away, on the small patch between the building and the street, were three people running along and laughing. There was already a rather large heap of snow that kind of looked like the start of a snowman. Little Sara in her pink hat and thick overalls running around, pushing a snowball in front of her. Kim was right behind her, growling playfully as she made her way through the snow. They looked like penguins waddling around like that.

Alex seemed to share Trini’s opinion, as she started laughing so hard she let the snowball in her hand fall to the ground, not even noticing that is shattered. Kim didn’t seem to like that. In two long steps, she reached her eldest daughter and scooped her up into her arms. Sara didn’t seem to want to be left out because she clamped her small hands around Kim’s leg.

Trini watched, transfixed, as the family of three fell down onto the ground next to what was presumably the base of a snowman, giggling and squeaking. They looked happy, beyond happy, even.

Kim let out a happy sigh. She cuddled the girls close to her in the snow. And then, Sara squirmed and craned her neck and she squealed: “Trini! Do you wanna build a snowman?”

Trini quirked an eyebrow at the reference, but she smiled nonetheless. She looked at Kim, with Alex squirming out of her arms as not to be seen so vulnerable by a stranger, at Sara lying at the other side of her mother’s body on the white snow as if it was nothing more than a comfortable bed. She wanted to join them. She wanted to build a snowman, to laugh and play with them.

But this was their family time. This was them building traditions that they could have and keep between the three of them. It was for their family and no matter how attracted Trini was to Kim, no matter how hopeful it might look between them, Trini was not family. This wasn’t for her to take part in.

“Sorry, not today, kid,” she said with a smile she hoped wasn’t too sad or regretful. “Maybe another time.”

“Aww, c’mon, Trini,” cooed Alex once she pulled free from her mom.

“Yeah! Build snowman with us, Trini!”

Trini looked between the two sisters and then she aimed a pleading look at their mother. She didn’t know how to say no, but she knew she couldn’t say yes.

“Girls,” Kim pulled both of her daughters to her again, “I’m sure Trini is very busy.”

“But she needs rest, too!” argued Alex. She crossed her arms on her chest and gave the most stubborn, rational look Trini’s seen in a six-years-old. “You said when people work too hard, they need rest. And Trini works!”

Kim looked at Trini with narrowed eyes and lips pulled down in a grimace. “She’s got a point. You do need to take some rest.”

Oh, how easy it would be to give in. And they’d take her in, too, and they might even enjoy her company. And Trini would get to spend time with them and with Kim, and she’d get the chance to show Kim she was good for the girls.

But it was family-only. It wasn’t for Trini.

“I’m really sorry, but I—I’ve got to finish this one thing and then I have to take Sabre out for his walk. He gets pretty grumpy when his walks aren’t on time,” Trini scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

“You’ll have to join us one of these days, Trin,” Kim smiled, bright and wide, and Trini’s heart thudded harder at the sight and the nickname. She might not be worthy of family-time with the Harts, but the nickname, she could definitely do.

She couldn’t help but return the smile. “Yeah, one of these days.”

Trini waved her neighbours goodbye and went back inside with that all too familiar fuzzy, warm feeling deep in her chest. And not just because of Kim, either. She was very fond of the girls and hearing that they wanted her with them, that they cared, was an amazing feeling.

When she took Sabre to the park later, she let him run around like she always did. And while he entertained the kids from the block, Trini made her colleague and one of her very few friends agree to meet her the following day for some last-minute Christmas shopping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's all, folks! I hope you liked the chapter! Let me know what you think down in the comments! Or come talk to me on my [Tumblr](https://justalittlewritingnerd.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> I hate you all, hoomans!


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys!
> 
> I made it! I'm having a really tough time getting the writing done in time! (I am about half an hour past the due date on this one in my country, but psst!) Christmas is way more work than I anticipated. 
> 
> There is no Trini-Kim or Trini-the girls interaction in this one, but we are getting to see Zack! And yes, he is as much of a pain in the ass as you'd expect him to be. But a helpful one because Trini is as useless at gift-shopping as Kim is at hiding her crush. 
> 
> So, without further ado, enjoy!

There was a reason Trini didn’t have a lot of friends. Well, there were more reasons. Friends tended to be annoying and demanding. They loved attention and Trini didn’t have time for that with her work. She needed time to draw and to colour and to tweak the comics she was working on, not to mention working on her side-projects that didn’t get the green light from the company. Friends also required money, whether it was to buy a beer or for presents. Which was a whole category altogether.

Trini hated buying presents. When she was younger, she usually just drew something for her family or made something out of wood if she had the time. Granted, the things she made looked… well, bad. But it didn’t matter because they came from the heart and she worked her ass off to make them. Then she was told that her art wasn’t worth anything and she promised herself she would never again make something for anyone, especially her family. She’s stuck by that promise ever since.

Now that she had a steady income and an adult life, she could afford to buy presents. But now that she had a steady income, she had almost no-one to buy presents for. Which she was happy about. She hated buying presents. She was a practical person and she knew that practical gifts were the way to go with her. However, most other people didn’t seem to share her opinion. Her mother never liked practical gifts, because apparently, those weren’t gifts. ‘The thing you need is not a good thing because you’d have to buy it either way’. Apparently, neither was the thing you want. Trini couldn’t remember a time when she got just one thing that she really wanted from June Gomez.

Trini’s dad is a little different. He always snuck her a gift or two that she actually wanted for Christmas. Usually, she got a new sketchbook and a pack of crayons or a new book, or that Ravenclaw scarf and tie that he got her when she was seventeen. According to him, a gift was something that you really want that you will use or eat. Trini’s never had a problem with choosing a gift for her dad. When she was younger, she couldn’t pay for it, so he told her not to get him anything. Now that she could pay for it, she usually sent him a gas gift card or something equally as practical and meaningless.

Buying presents was never easy and it was always a nuisance, but Trini’s brothers were a little easier to gift-shop for than other people. Ever since they learnt that Santa does not bring gifts, Trini made a deal with them. They both had the right to ask her for one gift only, and it couldn’t be anything too expensive. Her salary wasn’t bad, but that hadn’t always been the case and frankly, she didn’t feel like spending dozens of dollars on two grown-up men. If you could consider sixteen-years-olds grown-ups, that was.

Fortunately for her, ever since she moved out, she’s only had to buy gifts for her immediate family and two co-workers who were also her friends. Zack was easy, he liked stupid things and he was happy for any trinket or toy she got him. She usually went into a toy shop or some small, hole-in-the-wall prank-supply stores to get him something. The agreement was that if she got him anything to prank someone, he couldn’t under any circumstances use it on her or the third member of their little group, or anywhere in their workplace. He managed to follow that agreement, surprisingly. Her other friend was equally as easy to please with gifts. Billy, who was a ray of literal sunshine bottled up, was very sweet and very caring, and he only ever accepted small gifts, because anything more expensive than ten dollars made him uncomfortable. Trini’s learnt though that if she spaced the small gifts out throughout the day, she could well enough spend way more than ten dollars and he wouldn’t mind. But she usually only got him his favourite coffee and cinnamon rolls from that little bakery down the street from their work, because that was his favourite.

Trini really hated buying gifts. She usually didn’t know what to choose and how to go about it, she always worried that her own preferences were more present in the gift and that the recipient wouldn’t like her choices. So really, when she found herself in the only bookstore in town three days before Christmas, it was an understatement that she felt more than just a little lost. Granted, Kim did tell her what the girls wanted, and surprisingly, the old lady who owned the bookstore—God bless her—had at least three alternatives for the books, in the case of the colouring book complete with a set of crayons and pencils, and one case ever watercolours.

While she was an artist, sort of, she was very much unable to decide what to choose for the girls.

“Just take the thing that has the most options,” Zack, her faithful friend and colleague advised wisely from over her shoulder.

“Yeah, that’s also the one that’s going to cost most,” Trini remarked absentmindedly.

“Uh-huh,” Zack agreed, “so? You don’t put your money anywhere all year long, it’s not like you can’t afford two books.”

“Of course I can afford them,” Trini rolled her eyes at her friend’s lack of understanding. “But Kim will have a hard time accepting a cheap gift. If I got her the priciest thing here, she’d never take it. Or she’d give me the money back as soon as she could.”

“Didn’t you say she doesn’t have the money?”

“She doesn’t. But I know Kim—”

“After half a year?” Zack cut in with doubt in his voice.

Trini glared at him shortly before she returned her gaze to the colouring books laid out before her. “Ten months. And I know her well enough to know she wouldn’t accept an expensive gift.”

“So your girlfriend isn’t using you for money. Cool.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Yet,” Zack grinned, nudging her shoulder with his arm. “Nobody says she has to just accept these! She can pay you back!”

“I don’t want her to pay me back,” Trini almost growled. “I just want the girls to have a nice Christmas. Kim said they really wanted these and it would make them happy to get them.”

“It would also make Kim happy to see her girls happy,” Zack concluded. When she turned her gaze to glare at him, she found him with a filthy smirk on his face. “And then she could pay you back in kind.”

“God, do you ever stop thinking about sex?” Trini hissed at him. “We’re thinking about children here!”

“But you’re also thinking about their mother. Who you want to bang. So…”

“I don’t want—” Trini cut herself off with a sigh. “Look, just—just help me pick two books for the girls and then you can go do whatever it is your perverted mind wants you to do.”

Zack hummed, clearly unoffended by the comment.

Trini huffed, annoyed, then she returned her attention to the books in her hands. She sighed. Frowned. Bit her lower lip.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, she let out a defeated sigh. “This is stupid. I can’t even choose a good colouring book! What kind of an adult am I?”

“The normal kind. If you could choose easily, I’d think you’re still a kid. Or that you don’t care about those sweet little girls and their hot and lovely mother,” Zack said. Trini didn’t have to look at him to know he was grinning like an idiot. “Look, just—just take that one with the words in it. It can help her learn to read and she can colour it.”

“But that’s not enough,” Trini frowned at the book he was pointing at.

“Then get her some crayons or something. Y’know, those three-sided ones are pretty neat. And if you get a large enough pack, well—”

“Kim won’t accept it.”

Zack sighed. “It’s for her daughters. She’ll accept it.”

“Fine,” Trini breathed out. She put the books she wasn’t taking down and then she moved on to the shelf where there were Harry Potter books. At least five different kinds. “Great. Now what?”

“That’s for the older one, right? You can get her the picture book,” Zack pointed at the illustrated edition of the books.

“She’s a kid, but she won’t be forever,” Trini argued, frowning at the book. “And Harry is classic.”

“True, but those illustrations are pretty damn neat.”

“Yeah, but… I don’t know. I could have hand-made those things for them. Drawing is kind of my thing.”

“But you’re not superhuman. You wouldn’t be able to illustrate two books in four days. So shut up and choose a book, I want to go home. I have a nice take-out box full of lasagne that’s just screaming my name, I can already hear it!”

Trini rolled her eyes. “You are the worst. Which one do I choose?”

“The normal one?” Zack suggested, taking the book into his hands.

“That’s too ordinary.”

“You are worse than any woman I’ve ever shopped with, I swear.”

“So worse than your mother, then,” Trini fired back quickly.

“Ouch! I’m lending you my expertise and you wound me so! How is that fair?”

“Life’s not fair, little mouse.”

“Quoting Scar in the kids’ section of a bookstore, funny,” Zack remarked with the grin firmly in his voice.

Trini didn’t honour that with a response. “Just help me pick a book and then you can go to your hot date with that lasagne of yours.”

Zack hummed. “Let’s recap then. Not an illustrated version because you wanna do that yourself. Not the normal version because you want special. All right. Which House is this special kiddo in?”

That made Trini turn her head to glare at him. “Do I look like the Sorting Hat to you?”

“There’s no safe answer to that,” Zack grinned.

Trini let out a huff and turned back to the books. “Well, she’s not Slytherin, she’s too shy for that. She’s not loud enough and stupid enough for Gryffindor—” Zack let out an offended ‘Hey!’ but Trini ignored him. “She might be a Hufflepuff, but… I don’t know. She would fit pretty neatly in Ravenclaw, I think. She likes books and she is full of a different piece of information.”

“Well, there you go. Get her the Ravenclaw edition and let’s go.”

“But what if she’s not in Ravenclaw?”

“Well, then she’ll be flattered you thought she was smart.”

Trini thought about it. Zack did have pretty good reasoning for a change. And Trini was particularly fond of Ravenclaw as it was her house according to the various Sorting Hat quizzes she’d taken.

Mind made, Trini reached for the book.

“Hey, Trini?” Zack voiced from behind her.”

Her fingers nimbly pulled the book from its shelf and into her grasp. “Yeah?”

“Do you have a present for the hot mamma?”

Trini turned to face Zack. “No. She didn’t tell me about anything she might want. She was all about the girls.”

“Well, obviously, she is their mom,” Zack pointed out helpfully. “But, like, I bet you’d score even more points with her if you got her something?”

Trini gave him a deadpan look. “You just witnessed how terrible I am at buying gifts, even if I know what the recipient wants. How do you suggest I get something for Kim when I don’t have a freaking idea what she wants?”

“Yeah, that’s a bummer,” Zack said slowly, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “There are some pretty cute Mrs Claus panties at the store!”

She hit his arm instead of a response.

“Okay, fine! Not underwear then. But hey, there must be something she wants. Some weekend getaway or a spa day or something. With two kids constantly on her neck, God knows she needs to relax here and there.”

Trini hummed in acknowledgement. She hated buying gifts and she hated having to come up with ideas for gifts. But Zack just gave her the perfect idea and this one, she would be able to make on her own even in two days. If that wasn’t a win-win situation, she didn’t know what was.

Her promise to never make anything for anyone ever again completely forgotten, she nodded her head once, the decision made. She only hoped Kim would be as into the idea as she was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's all, folks. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think in the comments below or come talk to me on my [Tumblr](https://justalittlewritingnerd.tumblr.com/)! I really could use someone to talk to about my stories...
> 
> I hate you all, hoomans!


	5. Day Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys!
> 
> I swear I posted this chapter, like 10 hours ago, but for some reason, it's not showing. 
> 
> Day five here! I just want to say that I really love hos this story is developing. The characters are just growing more and more! I especially love Sara in this chapter. She's shaping up to be quite a character. Also, pardon the grammatical errors, some of them--the ones where Sara is speaking--are made on purpose. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

Quiet, yet passionate curses fell from Trini’s lips as she shuffled her feet through her apartment. The insistent knocking on her front door didn’t stop, no matter how much she wished it did, and she was ready to yell down whoever deemed it okay to wake her up at six in the morning by knocking on her door like a savage. That was until she opened the door and saw who was on the other side.

“Sara,” Trini breathed out in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

The little girl gave Trini a big smile in greeting, then her face fell into a more serious, almost pensive expression. “Mommy’s still asleep and I have question.”

As if it wanted to correct her, Sara’s tummy gave a low rumble. Trini sighed and stepped back. “Come in. I’ll make you something to eat and then you can ask me your important question.”

Sara confidently walked into the apartment or rather scurried in like a small bird. She took off her shoes and instantly went to pet Sabre who came out of Trini’s bedroom to see what all the fuss was about.

Trini put two pieces of bread in the toaster and poured some milk into a cup to heat it. She then sent a text to Kim, telling her that Sara was at her place and that she should text Trini when she woke up so that Trini could drop Sara off.

It was strange sitting at the small table with this precious little girl, Trini mused. But not in a bad way. Sara, while very outgoing and reckless, was a sweet kid who sometimes seemed much too smart for her age. Even now, she was watching Trini with this serious, pensive expression that didn’t go with her four-year-old self at all, like she was thinking about something very deeply.

“So. What was your important question?” Trini asked in between bites.

Sara put her toast down onto her plate and wiped her hands and mouth in a much too adult fashion before she asked with the most serious voice: “Does your Christmas tree sing?”

Trini blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Your Christmas tree,” the girl repeated impatiently. “Does it sing?”

“Erm, I?”

“Our does! Or that’s what mommy says,” a frown appeared on Sara’s face, complete with puffed-out cheeks. It didn’t look angry, however; rather, it seemed pained. “Every year, we pick a tree that sings. And then we put balls on it. And it sings! But I never hear it. Mommy sings us the song. But I want to hear Mr Tree sing! Does your tree sing? Can I hear it?”

“Well, I…” Trini swallowed. Sara was looking at her with big, pleading brown eyes and Trini would rather jump off of Empire State Building’s rooftop than say no to those eyes. Problem was, there was no way to make a tree sing. “I don’t have a Christmas tree.”

“Why not?” the girl questioned in a true kid fashion.

“Because I don’t need it.”

Sara frowned in confusion. “Where does Santa leave your presents?”

Oh, right. Kids believe in Santa. “He doesn’t.”

“But mommy says he brings everyone presents!”

“Not me,” Trini said, smiling. She tried desperately to think up some reason as to why she didn’t get presents from Santa because that would be Sara’s inevitable next question.

“But why?” And here it was.

“Well, you see,” Trini said slowly, “Santa and I, we have this agreement. I told him not to make me presents and instead make more presents for kids who need them.”

The frown of confusion deepened. “Why? Mommy says everyone deserves presents!”

“And she’s right,” Trini agreed instantly. “But I make my own money now and I can buy everything I need. And this way, Santa has more presents for others.”

Sara thought about it for a while. Then, which a decisive nod, she accepted the explanation and got back to eating her toast.

A knock on the door interrupted Trini’s own bite. Sabre was the first one at the door, sniffing and wagging his tail. Trini, however, was much less enthusiastic about the second interruption of her morning, and she made that pretty clear with her annoyed expression.

Her expression quickly melted when she opened the door. There stood Kim, clearly still in her pyjamas, with her hair all crazy and eyes wide. Without a word, Trini stepped back and stabbed her thumb in the direction of the kitchen.

The door barely closed behind Kim and Alex, who silently followed behind her mom, before Kim started fuming.

“Sara Diana Hart!” Full-naming. Ouch. “What were you thinking!”

“Hi, mommy!”

“Don’t you ‘hi mommy’ me! Do you have any idea how worried I was?” According to the innocent eyes Sara looked up at her mother with, she didn’t. “God! Never go out without telling me!”

Trini watched as Kim enveloped her daughter in a tight embrace. Only when she let the girl go did Trini decide to join in. She walked into the kitchen, which Alex timidly following behind her. “Oh, c’mon Kim. She was just here.”

“Don’t,” a warning finger was thrust right in front of Trini’s face, “encourage her! She’s too young to go off on her own like that!”

“It’s just my apartment, she’s safe here.”

Kim glared, passionately. “It doesn’t matter! She has no business going off like that!”

Tears glistened in Kim’s eyes. Sara’s head was down between her shoulders and Alex looked like she was scared of something. That wasn’t a good combination of emotions.

“All right, you know what? Why don’t we just…” Trini stopped herself for a moment. “I’ll make you guys some more toast and you can go watch some TV while I talk to your mom, huh?”

Sara was happy as only a just-reprimanded kid could be, but Alex seemed less than fond of the idea.

“Huh,” Trini knelt down next to Alex. “Okay, what do you want to do, Alex?”

“Draw.”

“All right! C’mon, into the living room!”

Trini set the girls up with TV, some empty sheets of paper, some pencils and crayons and some books and comic suitable for children before she went back into the kitchen. Now that she had time to catch her breath, Kim looked much less stressed and frightened, but not more relaxed.

“Want some coffee?” Trini asked.

Kim’s still classy eyes turned to her. “We shouldn’t disturb you any more, I’ll get the girls and we will get—”

“Kim. They are just fine in there and you need to calm down. You’ll just be nervous and you’ll spoil your holidays. So, do you want that coffee?”

A thankful, relieved expression melted Kim’s face. “Yes, please. And thank you. For taking care of Sara. For texting me where she was. For taking care of all of us today.”

“No problem.”

“I can’t even begin to tell you how worried I was.”

“I can imagine,” Trini agreed from the kitchen counter. “But hey, nothing happened, everything’s okay. She’s safe, you all are.”

“What was she even thinking?” Kim asked, clearly unaware of any effort at calming her down on Trini’s part. Trini sighed, shook her head with a fond smile, then she went to bring the girls their toast. Sara was already completely immersed in the cartoon that was playing and Alex was making lines and shapes on the paper that looked way better than the drawings of most six-years-olds. The girl obviously liked drawing and she was rather talented. Trini made a mental note to talk to Kim about it later.

In the kitchen, Kim was still working through her shock, mumbling and muttering about her daughters. Trini let her. She made the coffee, finished off her toast—now cold—in peace and even made a few more for the two of them to share before Kim even registered the outside world again.

Kim’s eyes were focused, if a little unsure, on Trini. “What did she even want here so early in the morning?”

Trini took a sip of her coffee, contemplating how to respond. Then she settled on: “I’ve heard your Christmas tree can sing.”

Kim looked confused for a moment or two, but when she realised the context, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she sagged back into her chair. “Ohmigod! Are you serious? She came here at the ass-crack of dawn for that? Oh, I…”

“She was bummed that she couldn’t hear your tree sing,” Trini explained. “So she came here to see if she could hear mine.”

“Oh, my—I’m so sorry, Trini. It never even occurred to me that she could… I am so, so sorry.”

“Stop apologising, Kim,” Trini said with as much warmth as she could muster. “I’m just curious, how did you come up with that idea?”

“I wanted the girls to have something special for Christmas,” Kim said slowly. She stopped herself, took a sip of her coffee and looked into her cup for a long moment.

Trini watched her. Waited. She didn’t want to pressure her, no matter how curious she was about it. She wanted to know everything about Kim and her daughters. But she knew she couldn’t push it. She wouldn’t. If Kim wanted to tell her, she’d listen and she’D be happy.

“Tommy didn’t make a lot of money on his seasonal jobs and most of what he made, he lost on bets,” Kim continued. “We never could afford flashy decorations or a big tree. And I—Alex was just born and I could already picture it, a few years down the road, us still living the way we did, with almost nothing… And then when Alex was almost two and I found out I was pregnant, I… I felt we weren’t… All the kids at Alex’s kindergarten were from houses that were lit up like Vegas during Christmas. And I felt like—I felt like the girls would miss having something special. So, to make Christmas special, I told them that our Christmas tree could sing. I know, it sounds stupid, but I—I sang that old Happiest Christmas Tree song and—and Alex loved it. And then when Sara was born they were both in love with it so I just—I kept doing it. And it sort of became our thing.”

Once again, Trini was struck by awe at how strong Kim was.

“Well, I…” Trini found herself saying as she looked into Kim’s soft, brown eyes. “I would love to hear you sing the tree song one day.”

A wide smile spread on Kim’s face. And that smile stayed with Trini even after Kim and the girls left her apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's all, folks. I hope you liked the chapter! Let me know your thoughts down in the comments or come talk to me on my   
> [Tumblr](https://justalittlewritingnerd.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> I hate you all, hoomans!


	6. Day Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys!
> 
> So, uhm, this happened. 
> 
> Also, where I am from, we celebrate Christmas on 24th, which is today, so happy holidays to those of you who celebrate on the same day as me! 
> 
> Enjoy!

Trini knocked on the door, strong and sure and complete opposite of what she was feeling. She looked around the hallway. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other and back. She had to shove her free hand into her pocket to keep herself from playing with her fingers.

Sabre let out a soft coo and pushed his head against her leg. It was a small comfort, but it was enough to help her keep her composure. She’s never been to Kim’s apartment, not officially. She did help with the girls a few times or dropped off the occasional mail, but all that was done from the entrance and it never gave Trini time to look around or to see—well—anything. But now she was supposed to spend time there and she wasn’t sure how to process that information. She didn’t know how to deal with the excitement and nervousness of it. She didn’t even know why she was so nervous! It’s not like she was seeing Kim for the first time! Or the girls! It was all confusing and it was messing with Trini’s head.

At the same time, she felt giddy. Her nervous stomach tickled funnily whenever she imagined how Kim will smile at her once the door opens, and her body was warm all over. It felt like a date. Which was even more confusing because this was not a date. They were just supposed to watch a movie with the girls or something like that, maybe Trini would be on baby-sitting duty while Kim prepares breakfast for the next day. It was just Trini helping out a young family with their traditions. While Trini was insanely attracted to the mother of the family. Yep, completely platonic.

So why did Trini’s heart insisted on skipping a beat when she heard the door unlock?

The door opened to reveal Kim with a big, toothy smile on her face. Trini’s heart started racing and she gripped the leash and two plastic bags she was holding.

“Hi,” Trini breathed out. She just hoped she didn’t forget to smile. Then again, Kim almost always made her smile, so that wasn’t really a problem.

“Hey, you,” Kim greeted, looking Trini up and down. She then looked at Sabre and bent down to pet the dog, whose tail was now wagging so furiously it hit Trini’s leg every time. “Well, don’t you look handsome! Ohmigod, is that a bowtie? The girls are going to love it! Come on in.”

“Yeah, sure, tell the dog he looks good,” Trini teased grumpily as she followed Kim inside. The apartment was small, that much Trini could tell, and it smelled like freshly-baked cookies.

“I’d tell it to you, but I’m afraid you’d break,” Kim teased right back.

Trini was about to retort with something very witty—she didn’t really know what she would say, but she knew she would say something!—when two balls of excitement and Christmas decorations ran straight into her, yelling: “Trini! Trini came!” in two high-pitched voices. Trini hugged them both close, ruffling their hair. After that, the girls immediately went to play with Sabre and took him to their room. The dog went, excited at new things to sniff perhaps more than at the company.

“Thank you for the invitation,” Trini said once the girls were gone.

“Thank you for coming,” Kim returned. She walked off to the kitchen and looked back at Trini who was now equally dumbstruck by the festive atmosphere in the small apartment and by the sway of Kim’s hips in those leggings she wore. “Do you want anything? Tea? Coffee?”

Trini followed obediently after Kim. She noticed that the kitchen was only divided from the living area by a breakfast counter. There wasn’t a lot of space in either of the rooms. Most of the furniture in both of the rooms looked used and old. There was a small sofa that had something like a crossbreed between a blanket and a bedsheet thrown over it, there were a cabinet and a bookshelf and a TV on a small cabinet. And in the corner, right next to the window, stood a plain, rather thin tree.

“Actually, I brought something,” Trini said almost shy. She reached into one of the plastic bags she had and pulled out a bottle of red wine. “I didn’t know which you like better, but I figured you can’t go wrong with red. I also got some grape juice for the girls. Didn’t want them to feel left out.”

“Oh, Trini,” Kim sighed with a conflicted look on her face. “You didn’t have to! It’s really sweet of you, but I—I’ll pay you back!”

“Hey. I’m already spending a day of Christmas with you. Think of it as a compensation for invading your family tradition,” Trini grinned.

“Are you going to keep making fun of me for that?” Kim asked, eyebrow quirked. It felt like a challenge and a deal-breaker of a question all smashed into one.

“I’m not making fun of you. I think it’s great that you’re trying so hard for them. Just… make sure they’re invested in the traditions. My mother always pushed her traditions on me and I hated them. I wouldn’t want that to happen to you.”

Kim’s face softened in an instant, her mouth fell open slightly and her head tilted to the side. She looked like she wanted to say sorry, but she seemed to change her mind because her expression shifted into one of hopefulness and mirth.

“That’s great because called you here for a reason.”

“Well, let’s hear it,” Trini prompted.

“I need you to take part in our tradition! I—well, I need help decorating the tree,” Kim’s expression turned somewhat sheepish and her eyes strayed to the tree that stood miserable in the corner of the living room. “I am usually overrun and… the girls always decorate the bottom of the tree and then the poor thing is left almost naked from the middle up. I need a second pair of hands to even the playing field a little.”

“You want me to help you make your Christmas tree,” Trini summed up. She took a breath and held it in for a short moment. This was big. From their numerous conversations, she’s learnt that Kim was very familial and she valued her family above all else. To be invited, to be wanted in a tradition like this… it meant a great deal for Kim. And for Trini.

“Yes,” Kim said simply, evenly, like she’d had a lot of time to think about it and this was the only response she could come up with and was comfortable with. “Although, now that I’m looking at you, I’m starting to worry that you’ll only help the girls decorate. You won’t reach much higher than them.”

“Height jokes, really funny,” Trini rolled her eyes, but she smiled nonetheless.

“At least I can be sure they’ll never fall short,” Kim grinned.

“Let’s just get this tree thing over and done with.”

It took them hours to get such a simple task done. Mostly because Alex and Sara wanted to put everything they found on the tree and they seemed to want to impress Trini with their vigour and effort and loudness. Trini’s had time to get used to the Hart household and its affinity to music, but nothing could ever prepare her for the three of them singing Christmas songs non-stop. Kim, although reluctant at first, found a very good use of the wine during the afternoon, as they found rather quickly that it helped her relax in the constant noise, and the girls liked their grape juice almost as much as Kim liked hers.

When the tree was finally done and the girls’ throats were sung raw, Kim declared it was time for dinner and she took it upon herself to feed Trini as well for a job well done. The girls, however, didn’t seem to like that. Especially Sara wanted to continue decorating the tree until it started singing.

“It is singing, honey,” Kim insisted from behind the counter where she was currently cutting vegetables. “We’ll sing the tree’s song after dinner, okay?”

“It’s not singing,” Sara pouted, completely ignoring her mother.

“It’s because we picked the wrong tree! This one can’t sing!” Alex concluded with a serious, sad face.

“It can too! We just didn’t make it pretty enough!” Sara countered.

The girls started bickering, their voices echoing through the apartment. Kim looked stressed and tired and about ready to murder someone.

Trini, deciding to take action before Kim could go on a killing spree out of her frustration, knelt down next to the girls. “Hey. I’m sure your tree will sing. Maybe it’s just a little shy. So why don’t you two go get washed up while your mom makes dinner and we’ll wait for the tree get comfortable enough to sing, huh?”

The girls didn’t look as convinced as Trini would have liked, but they did go along with her suggestion.

Kim shot her a quick, thankful glance. “Thank you. You’re really good with them.”

“I’m not done yet,” Trini announced before she pushed past the branches and squeezed herself into the corner behind the tree. “Will they see me here?”

“No, I don’t think so… why, what are you planning?”

Trini had just enough time to poke her head out, send Kim a wink and hide behind the branches before Alex and Sara ran into the room again. Alex went to her mom to assist in however way a six-years-old could assist in the kitchen, but Sara stopped in front of the tree and looked at it for a long moment.

“I’m sorry we didn’t make you pretty enough this year, Mr Tree,” she said slowly, her words slightly mumbled. Trini’s heart squeezed painfully when she saw the sadness in those big, brown eyes. “But I think you look very pretty. You’re almost pretty like my mommy!”

When the girl turned around to face the kitchen, Trini took a deep breath to steady her suddenly emotional self. And then she started singing The Happiest Christmas Tree song.

It took the Harts a moment to figure out what was happening. They just stared for a moment, and then, one after the other, they joined in. Sara was first, with a happy squeal and a very energetic dance. Alex followed a little later with a bewildered look in her eyes. And then Kim, with the softest expression Trini’s ever seen and the voice of an angel. Trini’s voice almost broke at the small smile and the sparkling brown eyes.

The girls soon took the song into their own hands and soon enough, they were singing every Christmas song imaginable.

After dinner, which was only served after Kim made both of her daughters go into their room to look for Sabre’s leash so that Trini could get out from behind the tree, Kim put on some movie for the girls and she went to tidy up. Trini watched with a fond smile how Kim danced around the kitchen. She then glanced at the girls, now fast asleep on the couch.

Kim seemed to follow her line of sight because she cooed softly. “Aww. They shouldn’t sleep there, their back will kill them tomorrow.”

“Not to mention Santa,” Trini joked. “Hey, would you mind if I—I mean, I don’t want to overstep or anything, but I-er—you have a lot of work still and, well, I could—I-I mean, I could take them to bed if you don’t-don’t mind.”

“Yeah. Sure. The pink one is—”

“Sara’s,” Trini finished with Kim, nodding. “Yeah. I figured.”

Trini took great care in putting the girls to sleep. She’s had some experience with her brothers, but that was a lifetime ago and she was nervous. Very nervous. And happy. She loved the girls. And tucking them in, even though they weren’t hers and she had no right to feel that way, made her all warm inside. It wasn’t the same type of warmth Kim gave her, but she wanted to keep this warmth as much as she wanted to keep Kim’s.

“They’re in their room,” Trini announced once she came back to the kitchen.

“Thank you,” Kim smiled.

“No. Thank you. For today.”

“I should be the one thanking you for that, too,” Kim said stubbornly. She wiped her hands off and walked up close to Trini, that soft smile of hers that made Trini’s heart beat faster on her lips. “You saved me today. Although now the girls will want to hear their tree sing every year. You should stick around for a few more years.”

Trini tried to swallow down the heat that rose up in her cheeks. “Y-Yeah, we’ll see how that goes.”

As if she just realised what she said, Kim lowered her head and groaned. “Sorry. That came out wrong, I—”

“Hey,” Trini stopped her. “I’d love to stick around. I… I care about the girls. And you.”

Kim’s eyes found Trini’s. They both were blushing like teenagers and neither seemed to want the moment to end.

Sabre whined at the door.

“Right. Walk time,” Trini smiled. “I should go. He gets really grumpy if I don’t follow his schedule.”

“Yeah, of course.”

“I—ah,” Trini took hold of one of the bags she brought over and stuck it out for Kim to take. “I got you something.”

Puzzled, Kim reached in and pulled out the colouring book. “Trini—why? I—I can’t accept this.”

“It’s for the girls.”

“I can’t—”

“Kim,” Trini cut her off gently. “I care about them. I want them to have a nice Christmas.”

Kim swallowed and looked into Trini’s eyes stubbornly. “I’ll pay you back. Every cent. When my paycheck comes in.”

“I don’t want that. I did it because I wanted to.”

“Trini—

“Kim. It’s okay. I make more money than you and I’m not feeding two kids. It’s fine. Really.”

They stared at each other, strong and stubborn until finally, Kim relented.

“Thank you,” she said softly as she placed the book back into the bag.”

“It’s no problem. I also got Alex her book and a sketchbook. And they both have a new set of crayons and pencils and stuff. It’s fine, I got it from work, I didn’t pay for it.”

“Thank you,” Kim said. She then lowered her head and chuckled. “It’s like half of our conversations is me thanking you or apologising. Maybe I should find a better way of expressing myself in that regard.”

Another wave of warmth crept up Trini’s body. She was cut off by Sabre’s demanding whine before she could say something.

“I really should go.”

“Yeah. But-you—eh, you could join us tomorrow morning for breakfast? I mean, if you’re not doing anything. Nobody should be alone for Christmas.”

Trini blinked a few times. Christmas was a family affair. She had no business there. But Kim invited her. So maybe, maybe it was for her, too. She smiled. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Say, nine-ish?” the grin on Kim’s face was blinding.

Sabre whined again, and this time he added a scratch on the door to it. “Okay, okay, I’m coming!” Trini rolled her eyes playfully, then she smiled at Kim. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Trini was warm for the rest of the night, even when she was in her empty, cold, dark apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's all, folks! I hope you liked this chapter! Please, let me know what you think down in the comments, or come talk to me on my [Tumblr](https://justalittlewritingnerd.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> I hate you all, hoomans!


	7. Day Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys!
> 
> I know I was supposed to post this a few hours ago, but I got stuck binge-watching Marvel's Runaways. I found out I really like smoll, dark and broody girls. And yes, I am half-way convinced to pledge my life to Nico Menoru, I only need to see her kick ass some more in the 3rd season. 
> 
> You're probably going to hate me for this one, I know. But, uuhhh, I'm thinking about making this into a series of short stories about these four lovely ladies. I'm really loving this universe and their dynamics, so if I have the time (not sure about that, I have an exam on Friday and I haven't even seen the materials I'm supposed to study, and I've been up all night watching a TV series) I'll write more content in this AU. 
> 
> Anyway, it's been a fun ride! I hope you liked this fic and I hope you're going to enjoy the last chapter!

It was Alex who opened the Hart’s door for her and Sabre on Christmas day. The girl smiled—Trini could already see so much of her mother in that smile—and let Trini inside. The apartment looked just like it did yesterday, but it felt different. There was torn gift paper all around, the smell of fried fish and stuffed chicken and various other foods filled the air and the whole apartment just seemed so… Trini couldn’t even find the words. Domestic fit perfectly, festive would go in there somewhere, too. But—and Trini noted this with a jolt of happy warmth through her body—it wasn’t alien. It felt like Trini was supposed to be there.

“Hi!” Kim called from the kitchen. “Come, sit! Hope you didn’t eat anything, there’s plenty here!”

Trini couldn’t keep the smile from her face as she let Sabre off his leash before she walked into the kitchen. Kim was there, already putting plates onto the breakfast counter that now how chairs all around it.

Trini put the bag she brought onto the counter. “Can I help with something?”

“Nah, I’m good,” Kim shot her a smile, then she turned to the hall. “Girls! C’mon, let’s eat!”

The thudding of small feet on the floor that followed was fast and hard. And then two little girls almost tackled Trini with a force that made her lean onto the kitchen counter to keep herself upright under the assault.

“Hey there, fellas,” Trini smiled at them as she hugged them back. She then looked up to Kim. “Hey, I wasn’t sure what to bring so I brought more grape juice.”

“You didn’t have to bring anything besides you and Sabre,” Kim smiled down at her.

Trini just grinned and shrugged before she somehow got the girls to unwrap themselves from around her. With Kim’s instructions, Trini managed to find the glasses and helped Kim set the table.

The breakfast was a joyful one, with the girls constantly chirping about what they got for Christmas and how happy they were about their gifts. To Trini’s surprise, Tommy’s name wasn’t mentioned once during the conversation. She expected the girls to miss their father, especially during Christmas, but it seemed she was wrong. The girls were only interested in their presents and Trini.

“So, is there an after-breakfast tradition?” Trini asked when they finished their meal.

“No, not really. Why?”

“Just thinking,” Trini shrugged. “We could go out. Build snowmen. There is a really nice sliding spot just out of town. It’s just a short walk from here.”

She didn’t need to say more, the girls were on the idea like lions on a piece of meat and after that, it didn’t take long to get Kim to agree. The girls shot out of their seats and into their room to get dressed and Trini went to help Kim with the dishes.

Trini’s stomach fluttered nervously the whole time they spent at the sink. The small, hand-crafted gift she had for Kim still sat in Trini’s bag and Trini could almost feel it burning its way through. She knew she wanted to give it to Kim. She was just afraid of doing so. She hadn’t even thought that maybe Kim didn’t want a gift, maybe she could get offended, maybe Trini would cross a line with that. Now all those doubts were in Trini’s head and she couldn’t get rid of them.

“What’s on your mind?”

“Huh?”

Kim smiled, hands still wet from doing the dishes. “You seem distracted. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Trini answered quickly. She dried the last plate and offered Kim the dishcloth. She watched as Kim dried her hands. She noticed that Kim’s fingers were long and slender and that the tips of them looked somewhat coarse.

Kim quirked an eyebrow doubtfully. She placed the cloth down behind herself with a decisive movement, then she leaned against the counter and stared Trini down.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Trini insisted. With a shaky breath, she moved to her bag and retrieved the small package. “It’s just… I’ve something—” she remembered the girls and that they might hear them and she quickly went to rephrase her sentence, “err—something strange happened yesterday.”

“Really?” Kim looked all kinds of smug with that knowing, teasing grin on her face. “What?”

“Uh, it’s... errr,” Trini took a nervous step closer to Kim and wet her lips. “Santa came to my apartment yesterday.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, and he—he asked me to…” Trini paused, unsure.

“Uh-huh,” Kim nodded her head, a smile on her face and her eyes half-lidded like she was trying to seduce Trini to give her the answer she already knew.

“He told me he forgot to give you a present. He asked me to give it to you for him,” Trini said finally, voice shaky and soft, as she thrust the small package out for Kim to take.

Kim’s fingers weren’t as coarse as Trini thought, she found when their skin touched. Her hand tingled from it, from how slowly Kim took her present. Trini’s stomach was all fluttery and she almost felt like a moment before vomiting, from how Kim’s eyes went from half-lidded to wide-open and curious.

“Trini,” Kim breathed out as she examined the gift. “You didn’t have to…”

“Tell that to Santa,” Trini shrugged. She wanted to tell Kim to open it just so she could see Kim’s reaction already, but she bit her lip. She wasn’t going to pressure Kim into it.

Kim rolled her eyes and smiled, then she turned her gaze back to the gift. She examined it, carefully, slowly, as if she only wanted to prolong Trini’s torture, and then she tore the paper off in the most ungraceful manner possible.

“God, Trini,” Kim breathed out, her voice shaky with laughter as she looked through the booklet. “Are you serious? Favour coupons? That’s the cheesiest, most stupid, fanfiction-y thing you could have done.”

Trini bit her lip and lowered her head. A coldness spread in her chest at the rejection. She took a chance and she lost. Homemade presents really were—

“I love it,” Kim grinned. And then her slender hands were around Trini’s neck, pulling her close and into Kim’s warm body. “Thank you. So much.”

“It’s nothing,” Trini shrugged it off, but the gesture felt clumsy with Kim still holding her. Trini noticed that their bodies fit together nicely and that she had a perfect place to slot her head on Kim’s chest, right above her breast. She could hear her heart beating strong and sure. She could feel Kim’s arms wrapped around her body like snakes. Trini’s own hands were unsure and only held on lightly, awkwardly, on Kim’s back.

When Kim pulled back, she smiled, wide and toothy, her lips glistened with wetness. And then she let out a breath and smiled.

“What, what’s going on?” Trini asked with a frown, taking half a step back. She didn’t want to leave Kim’s space but she didn’t want to intrude on her, either.

“Look up.”

Trini did. Above them, there hung a small ball of mistletoe and holly, tied together by a red ribbon. Trini licked her lips and looked around. There were a few more balls like that, all of them with big ribbons in various colours.

“Mistletoe,” Kim said in a low voice. She then looked at Trini with those soulful, brown eyes and Trini had a hard time looking away. “You know what’s supposed to happen, right?”

“Did—ehm,” Trini cleared her throat. “Did you put it there on purpose?”

“It’s cheap Christmas decoration,” Kim shrugged a little. Trini didn’t know how to feel about that. She wanted to kiss Kim, badly. But if it only was a decoration and nothing more, she couldn’t. She wouldn’t. “But I—I hoped…”

Trini looked up and into Kim’s eyes. She couldn’t read them, couldn’t tell the emotions in there or what Kim wanted. Her own head was too much of a mess for that. And then Kim was getting closer, closer, their bodies touched again and Trini’s hands were pressed between their chests and Kim was still getting closer until there was barely any space between them and then—

And then Trini gently pushed at Kim’s chest.

Kim let out a breath, something that sounded like a defeated sigh and a chuckle together. She leaned back a little. Nodded her head, but kept it low, didn’t look up.

“I’m sorry,” Kim said after a short moment. “I—I read the signs wrong and I’m—it’s on me. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Trini half-whispered into the space between them. Her voice trembled, as did her hands. “I am sorry. But I’m not going to kiss you just because of some old tradition that some horny dude made up hundreds of years ago.”

“How do you know it was a horny dude?”

“Of course it was a horny dude, no-one else would think up a custom that stupid,” Trini scoffed. When Kim shifted to move away from her personal space, Trini’s hands flew out of their own and landed on Kim’s shoulders, keeping her where she was.

A hopeful look crossed Kim’s face, although Trini wasn’t completely sure because Kim still refused to lift her head.

“When I kiss you,” Trini continued after a short pause, “it’s going to be on our terms. Preferably after a nice date.”

That made Kim lift her head. “When?”

“Yeah,” Trini smiled, prompting Kim’s smile. “When. Because I want to. And now that I know you want to, we’re going to make it happen.”

“Why not right now? I mean, you want it, I want it, what’s stopping us?”

Trini’s hand lifted from Kim’s shoulder and landed on her check for a short moment before she let it fall. “The girls.”

Kim frowned at that, but it did made her body recoil a little. “Wh-what about them?”

“I don’t want them to walk in on me stealing their mom,” Trini tried to joke. Kim did smile a short, small smile, but it disappeared as quickly as it came on. Instead, she took her lower lip between her teeth. “Look, I—I like you, Kim. I really, really like you. And I adore the girls. They are the sweetest, most precious tiny humans I’ve ever seen. But that’s… I don’t want to tear your family down.”

“You won’t!” Kim protested instantly. “The girls love you and I—I’m not far behind on that. I—God, you can’t even imagine how much I like you. It’s making me feel kind of stupid…”

“I think I can imagine. I’m not far behind on loving you, either. But,” Trini paused for a short moment, trying to wet her mouth and come up with the words to explain her thoughts. “Look, it’s… I know this—between us—seems very slow to us—”

“Too slow.”

“Too slow,” Trini agreed easily. “But they don’t understand things as we do. They are fragile and their view of you and your relationships is… Kim, I know it would be so easy to just jump in. And I know you’d tackle me off that cliff in a heartbeat if you could, but—you have children.”

“Is that a problem? Because I’m not giving up my kids to be with anyone.”

“I know, I know and I would never ask you to. But, with—with kids in the mix, there is no room for mistakes. There is no room for fooling around or figuring it out. If we do this, we’ll hit the ground running and we’re going to have to adjust to each other and the responsibility. You can’t just wing things with kids.”

Kim smiled a crooked smile. “To be honest, I’ve been winging this motherhood thing for six years and it’s going good.”

“You’re doing great with them,” Trini nodded quickly. She licked her lips and looked down at her hand still on Kim’s shoulder.

Kim’s hand rose up to tangle with hers. “I know. I know it’s scary. I know we have to think about so many things. We have responsibilities, obligations… but I like you. And the girls like you. You’re good for us. So, please, let me—let me take you out. On a date. I’ll get someone to watch the girls, we’ll go to eat somewhere and then you can drop me off and kiss me goodnight.”

“It’s not going to be that easy.”

“It’s not!” Kim agreed. “I know. It’s going to take time and patience. We’re going to have to build a relationship between the two of us and with the girls and… it’s going to be difficult and scary. But it’s going to be beautiful, too. If you want that.”

“Yeah,” Trini nodded her head before she even knew what she was doing. “Yeah, I do want that. Not here. Not right now. But I do.”

“Mommy!” came Sara’s voice from deep in the apartment. “I can’t find my gloves!”

“I’m coming, sweetheart!” Kim called back, then she looked back to Trini. “We’re continuing this talk. Preferably over a diner, sometime.”

“Friday at seven?”

“I’ll get back to you on that, I’m not sure if anyone will be available to watch the girls.”

“Mommy!”

Kim smiled a sad smile. “Duty calls.”

“Yeah. Go be awesome. I’ll get myself and Sabre ready.”

Kim walked off, reluctantly and with a gentle squeeze to Trini’s fingers. Trini smiled. The warmth in her chest spread like wildfire. It looked like it was cold outside, but it didn’t matter. Not when she had Kim and the girls. Not when the promise of their kiss and Kim’s warm breath still burned bright on Trini’s lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's all, folks. I hope you liked this chapter and the story as a whole! Let me know what you think down in the comments or come talk to me on my [Tumblr](https://justalittlewritingnerd.tumblr.com/)! 
> 
> I have to say, this has been an interesting experience, mostly because I chose a very bad time to write a fic that needed to be updated daily (I had a lot of work during the holidays). I didn't really have the time to relax that I thought I would have. I have a Christmas chapter in the works for TINEL that I wanted to post yesterday, but I didn't make it and it's still not typed out. I'm not sure when I'll get to it. Hopefully after my exam on Friday! Here's to hoping!
> 
> So, yeah, that's. it. I don't really know how to end this so, I guess I--uhh--I hate you all, hoomans!

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that's it, folks. I hope you liked it! Please, let me know your thoughts and feelings in the comments below or come talk to me on my [Tumblr](https://justalittlewritingnerd.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> I hate you all, hoomans!


End file.
